Method of conditioning laundry

ABSTRACT

A METHOD, SPECIFICALLY INTENDED FOR IMPROVING COMMERCIAL LAUNDRY OPERATION, WHICH RELATES TO THE PRODUCTION OF COMPACTED LAUNDRY MASSES IN ORDER TO FACILITATE LOADING OF THE LAUNDRY INTO WASHING MACHINES AND WHEREIN USE IS MADE OF MOISTURE TO ENABLE THE COMPACTED MASS TO RETAIN THIS ADVANTAGEOUS CONDITION DURING THE LOADING THEREOF INTO WASHING MACHINES.

June 8, 1971 s, MAURER El-AL 3,583,011

METHOD 0F CONDITIONING LAUNDRY Filed May 2l, 1969 rea/v.: @deze #fraai/5 Y 3,583,011 METHOD F CONDITIONING LAUNDRY Stanley Maurer, 628 Dover Road, ceanside, N.Y. 11572, and Jerome Maurer, 427 Rose Lane, Rockville Center, NY. 11570 Filed May 21, 1969, Ser. No. 826,422 Int. Cl. D06c 15/00 U.S. Cl. 8-150 6 Claims ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE A method, specifically intended for improving commercial laundry operation, which relates to the production of compacted laundry masses in order to facilitate loading of the laundry into washing machines and wherein use is made of moisture to enable the compacted mass to retain this advantageous condition during the loading thereof into washing machines.

The present invention relates generally to improvements for commercial laundry operation, and more specifically relates to improvements in the handling of laundry preparatory to the washing thereof.

In commercial laundry operations it is necessary to load laundry, consisting of sheets, towels, table cloths and other such items which are characterized by a comparatively large bulk through the restrictive openings of washing machines preparatory to the washing of these items. In connection with the foregoing, it is already well known that the loading of such bulky fabric items can be facilitated by compressing these items into a concentrated mass and then loading these masses into the washing machines. This is now achieved by complicated compacting apparatus located at the work area of the Washing machines. These prior art compacting apparatus are effective in achieving the compaction of the laundry and afterwards, while still exerting the compacting pressure on the laundry, are adapted to discharge the laundry through the washing machine openings into the interiors thereof. Among other serious disadvantages, it should be readily recognized that this prior art technique provides no etiiciency in the economic use of the equipment and personnel of the laundry. That is, each compacted laundry mass which is ultimately loaded into the washing machine can only be made one at a time since the compacting apparatus is required to retain the compacted shape or condition during loading thereof into the washing machine. On the other hand, the most advantageous time to make these compacted laundry masses would be during the operation of the washing machine which would then only have to be loaded with the already produced and fabricated laundry masses.

Broadly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method of handling and conditioning laundry preparatory to washing which overcomes the foregoing and other shortcomings of the prior art. Specifically, it is an object to provide a method of producing a cornpacted laundry mass wherein each mass has inherent internal adhesion to retain its compacted mass or shape. Thus, plural units or masses can be produced not just immediately prior to being used but during the washing interval so as to be available for the next successive washing interval.

An important contribution of the present inventive method of conditioning laundry is thus the recognition that moisture-laden fabric has an inherent self-adhesion, particularly when further subjected to the pressure of compaction, and that this thus enables the production of shape-retaining masses. Specifically, the present inventive ice method contemplates immersing laundry in a liquid bath and then loading the same into a compaction apparatus. Following compaction of the liquid-laden laundry, it has been found that the compacted shape is retained for a sufficient time interval to permit the further processing of the laundry masses. This processing, moreover, may take the form of transporting the masses from the compaction station to the washing machine where loading of these masses into the washing machines can then take place in a greatly facilitated manner.

In the above connection, although a significant part of .he liquid is squeezed from the laundry during the compaction operation, there is a suicient residual quantity of liquid in the produced mass to provide the already noted self-adhesion which may be molecular attraction or some other phenomenon. The selfeadhesion, moreover, has `been found to be aided by the squeezing or compaction operation not only because of the application of pressure forcing the various portions of the fabric into contact with each other but also due to the liquid iiowing throughout the fabric being compacted as a result of the applied pressure.

The above brief description, as well as further objects, features and advantages of the inventive method hereof will be more fully appreciated by reference to the following detailed description of a presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative apparatus for practicing said method, when taken in conjunction with th-e accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. l is a flow diagram illustrating the steps of the inventive method hereof and also is a perspective view of examplary apparatus for carrying out this method;

FIG. 2 is a sectional side elevational view of appropriate compacting apparatus for practicing the inventive method hereof;

FIG. 3 is an end elevational view, in section taken on line 3 3 of FIG. 2, illustrating further structural details of the compacting apparatus; and

FIG. 4 is an end elevational view, as seen in the direction of the arrows 4 4 of FIG. 2, showing further structural details of the compacting apparatus.

Reference is now made to the drawings wherein there is shown a compacting apparatus, generally designated 10, which is appropriate for use in practicing the inventive method hereof. As Will be explained and described in greater detail subsequently, the inventive method hereof is related to the conditioning of laundry, generally designated 12 in FIG. l, preparatory to the washing thereof. Specifically, the method contemplates the conversion of such laundry 12, which might be sheets, pillow cases, towels, and other such items which ordinarily are very bulky, into a concentrated compacted mass, designated 14 in FIG. l. The compacted mass 14, in turn, has been found to be a form for the laundry 12 which greatly facilitates loading into a washing machine or other such apparatus. From the foregoing it should be appreciated that what is involved is a method that is particularly suitable for use in commercial laundries. However, although this is intended to be the primary use thereof, it will be understood that theoretically the inventive method is not necessarily limited to this use but that use may be made in other commercial installations and for other commercial purposes. For example, the conditioning of the laundry in accordance with the inventive method hereof may find use in restaurants as a means of substantially reducing the storage area and space requirements for soiled linen and the like.

As is perhaps best understood f'rom FIG. l, the laundry-handling method of the present invention includes a first step of adding moisture to the initially dry laundry 12, preferably by immersing the laundry in a container 16 having lwater or perhaps even a liquid detergent 18 therein, with the result that the exiting laundry 12 is dripping wet. The wet laundry, illustrated by the arrow 20 in FIG. l, is then loaded into the compressing or compacting apparatus 10 and, after compacting operation of the unit 10 as will be described subsequently herein, it is changed in form from the comparatively large volume and bulk which characterized it prior and immediately after the wetting step into the substantially reduced volume and bulk of the previously noted compacted mass 14. In its condition as a compacted mass 14, the laundry is still moist although most of the liquid has been squeezed out of it during the compaction operation. The remaining liquid has been found, however, to be sufficient to result in adhesion of the various portions of the laundry which corne into contact with each other as a result of the compaction operation. Thus, underlying the present invention is the appreciation that wet or moistened fabric will produce a self-adhesion which is effective in causing a compacted mass to retain its compacted shape for a sufficient time interval after the compaction operation to enable the handling and processing of the compacted mass. Specifically, this handling and processing as contemplated by the present invention will include transporting the masses 14 from the compacting apparatus 10 to remote locations in the commercial laundry where the washing machines are located, and also the loading of the compacted mass 14 at these locations into the `washing machines for completion of the washing thereof. Naturally, during the washing each compacted mass is again subjected to excessive quantities of water or liquid detergent which has the effect of loosening and causing separation of the compacted mass back into the individual discrete items `of which it is comprised. Aiding in this separation is, of course, the tumbling or other agitation which is normally used to provide a scrubbing action during operation of the washing machine.

From the foregoing it should be readily appreciated that any one of a number of available compacting apparatus can be used to achieve the compacting step of the inventive method hereof. However, the compacting apparatus 10 as illustrated herein is the apparatus which is preferred and for completeness sake will now be described. Apparatus 10 includes a base 22 extending its entire length and has a housing formed by opposing side walls 24, 26, each the same size as the base 22, and also a half size top Wall 28 iwhich with a front wall 30 (see in particular FIG. 2) cooperates to define an internal compartment 32 for the hydraulic cylinder, generally designated 34, of the unit 10. The portions of the side Iwalls 24, 26 and the base 22 which extend forwardly of the compartment 32 cooperate to define a compaction chamber 36 which, during operation of the unit 10, is traversed by a ram plate 38 powered by the hydraulic cylinder 34. `Guiding the ram 38 in its movement during the power stroke operation of the cylinder 34 are a pair of guide rollers 39 operating in appropriate guide grooves in the base 22.

That is, ram 38 during a power stroke of the unit 10 is urged from its ready position as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 in a direction towards an exit opening 40 which is bounded by the remote edges of the side walls 24, 26 and base 22. At the time of the power stroke of the ram 38, however, the exit opening 40 is normally closed by a closure plate or door 42 appropriately mounted for reciprocating movement in a laterally oriented frame 44 and adapted to be reciprocated laterally in the frame 44 between open and closed positions relative to the exit opening 40 by the hydraulic or pneumatically-operated cylinder means, generally designated 46. Thus, while the door 42 is in its closed position in the exit opening 40, movement of the ram 38 against the 'wet laundry 20 which previously has been placed within the compaction chamber or compartment 36 is effective in converting the comparatively large volume or bulk of the wet laundry 20 into a compacted laundry mass 14. At this time, the liquid squeezed from the laundry 20 flows from the unit 10 through the drain 48. Thereafter, the ram 38 is retracted slightly and the door 42 moved into its open position by operation of the powering means or cylinder 46. Next, the ram 38 is again actuated in its power stroke direction 50 and, at this time, is effective in easing the compacted mass 14 out of the exit opening 40 onto a pallet 52 advantageously placed adjacent the exit opening 40. Thus, each compacted mass 14 is effectively removed from the apparatus 10, and after this compaction operation is repeated a selected number of times such that the pallet 52 is sufficiently filled with compacted laundry masses 14, it is then contemplated that the loaded pallet will be moved by a fork lift truck or other such appropriate transporting apparatus to the washing machines of the laundry.

From the foregoing description it should be readily appreciated that there has been described herein a noteworthy method for use in the operation of a commercial laundry and the like for conditioning laundry preparatory to the washing thereof. Specifically, in contrast to prior art techniques wherein laundry is compacted, while dry, at the washing machines or station and then held by the compacting apparatus while being fed into the washing machines, the inventive method hereof contemplates and provides several noteworthy advantages over such prior art techniques. Among other advantages, the cornpaction of the laundry according to the present invention can be achieved while the washing machines are operating and thus there is a great economy in the use of equipment and personnel. For example, as described herein, Iwhile the washing machines are in operation the laundry which is to be Washed next can be effectively converted into plural compacted masses 14. An additional advantage is that the compaction of the laundry masses 14 can be achieved at a location remote from the washing machines thereby alleviating congestion as might occur if compaction, loading, and unloading of the laundry is restricted to the same location or work area in the laundry.

A latitude of modification, change and substitution is intended in the foregoing disclosure and in some instances some features of the invention will be employed without a corresponding use of other features.

What is claimed is:

1. In the operation of a commercial laundry or the like, a method of conditioning laundry preparatory to the washing thereof comprising the steps of adding moisture to a comparatively large volume of said laundry, compacting said laundry, while moist, into a significantly reduced volume and, while said moisture retains said reduced volume of said laundry intact, loading said compacted laundry into washing apparatus whereby said compacted condition of said laundry facilitates said loading.

2. A method of conditioning laundry as defined in claim 1 wherein moisture is added to said laundry by irnmersing the same in liquid.

3. A method of conditioning laundry as defined in claim 2 wherein said moisture-laden laundry is subsequently compressed under pressure of a sufiicient extent to cause adhesion of contacting portions thereof.

4. In the operation of a commercial laundry or the like, a method of conditioning laundry comprising immersing said laundry in a liquid, loading said liquidladen laundry of a selected bulk into a compacting apparatus including a ram, compacting said liquid-laden laundry with said ram into a unitary mass of significantly reduced bulk, and unloading said laundry mass from said compacting apparatus preparatory to subsequent processing thereof.

5. A method of conditioning laundry as dened in claim 4 wherein said ram is adapted to ease said cornpacted laundry mass from said compacting apparatus during said unloading therefrom.

6. A method of conditioning laundry as dened in 3,358,861 12/ 1967 Gelmetti 68-210X claim 5 wherein said subsequent processing includes sub- 3,416,437 12/ 1968 Drace et al. 10U-218 jecting said compacted laundry mass to Washing which is effective to cause separation thereof. FOREIGN PATENTS 5 References Cited 1,078,033 8/ 1967 Great Britaln 68 210 UNITED STATES PATENTS WILLIAM I. PRICE, Primary Examiner 2,647,285 8/1953 Pfau 10G-73X V 3,195,447 7/1965 Taylor 100--218X U'S' C1' X'R' 3,300,067 1/1967 Johansson et al 68-210X 10 68-210 10U-'73, 218 

